Thursday, December 29, 2011

ACO Podcast Series: Innovation Center Initiatives

APTA recently released a fifth podcast in a special series on Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). This latest podcast focuses on the work of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Innovation Center) in the area of integrated models of care, specifically the Advanced Payment Initiative and the Pioneer ACO model.

The Advance Payment Initiative developed by the Innovation Center is designed for organizations participating as ACOs in the Medicare Shared Savings Program. Through this initiative, selected participants in 2 types of organizations in the Shared Savings Program will receive advance payments that will be recouped from the shared savings they earn as indicated in their agreements with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Under the Advance Payment Initiative, participating ACOs will receive 3 types of payments.

The Pioneer ACO Model seeks to support experienced organizations in transitioning from a fee- for-service payment structure to a system that is more closely aligned with improved quality of care and outcomes. CMS recently released brief descriptions of the 32 organizations selected to participate in the Pioneer ACO Model.